In
sociology and
social psychology, an
ingroup is a
social group to which a person
psychologically identifies as being a member. By contrast, an
outgroup is a social group with which an individual does not identify. For example, people may find it psychologically meaningful to view themselves according to their
race,
culture,
gender, age, or
religion. It has been found that the psychological membership of social groups and categories is associated with a wide variety of phenomena.